Ornamentation of fabrics



Sept. 29, 1959 QPARKER ETAL 2,905,999

ORNAMENTATION OF FABRICS Filed Oct. 23. 1953 I ang I A omey Unite Staes ORNAMENTATION OF FABRICS Application October 23, 1953, Serial No. 387,957

Claims priority, application Great Britain November 15, 1952 13 Claims. (Cl. 2669) This invention concerns the ornamentation of materials which are capable of being extended, such as textile fabrics, paper, leather and the like composed wholly or partly of fibrous or plastic materials (hereinafter and in the claiming clauses hereof called fabi'ics), and also concerns methods of and apparatus for ornamenting the same. By the term ornamenting we mean herein and in the claiming clauses hereof changing the configuration of the fabric by the formation of ruflles, ribs, frills or the like variations of shape.

In our co-pending United States patent application Ser. No. 351,076 we have described and claimed methods of and apparatus for producing such ornamentation of fabrics by compressively shrinking the fabrics in one or more selected regions only. The object of the present invention is to ornament fabrics which are capable of being extended, by extending them in one or more selected regions only. The invention, which is particularly applicable to textile fabrics, seeks to provide methods of, and apparatus for ornamenting stock fabric and so obviate the necessity for special Weaving or other expensive chemical methods.

The method of ornamenting fabric according to the present invention comprises subjecting at least one region of the fabric to stretching, other adjacent regions being continuously or intermittently permitted some freedom from the stretching action, whereby the stretched region or regions become raised from their normal state of fiat alignment.

The extension is preferably eifected by a substantial reversal of the selective compressive shrinking process described in our aforementioned co-pending patent application Ser. No. 351,076, and is obtained by running the compressive shrinking apparatus in reverse. By reversal we mean that instead of the fabric being pressed against a belt, the surface of which is in the extended state and causing the latter to contract before releasing the fabric therefrom, it is pressed against the belt when the surface thereof is in the contracted state, and is not released therefrom until the surface has been caused to extend. When this process is carried out locally, fabric is produced which contains extended or stretched regions and other regions of the original length (i.e. that before treatment). Thus, in the type of machine employing a surface of deformable flexible material, the fabric is led onto and selected regions are pressed against the surface whilst it is in a contracted state, and, whilst the selected regions are so held, the surface is caused to extend, so that a lengthening of those regions results.

The ornamentation produced by the invention in some materials, such as certain textile fabrics, and especially in those readily swollen by water, may be reduced or removed when they are washed or otherwise Wetted, unless steps are taken to fix or retain the localised extension. An exception is thermoplastic textile fabric, which is exemplified by those made from polyamide atent fabrics or polyester fabrics such as polyethylene terephthalate which when deformed while heated will retain their deformed shaped until heated to a higher temperature. Compressive shrinking is commonly carried out with the aid of heat, so that it is a simple matter to effect the extension with the simultaneous application of heat. To enable other textile fabrics to be washed without losing their ornamentation they may be treated in various ways. Thus they may be pre-treated with resins or other fixing agents which can be set, to retain the localised extension, by heat applied during and/or after the extending process, or by the action of a chemical reagent applied after the localised extending process, or by the latter chemical treatment only.

For example a cotton fabric may be impregnated with a thermosetting resin in aqueous solution and then dried to a suitable moisture content, such as a moisture content of about 10 percent, and cooled. It is then ornamented by the localised extending process according to the invention and baked at a temperature to suit the type of resin used finally to fix the extension and secure the ornamentation; Preferably, one of the rollers or other elements of the apparatus is heated to a temperature sufiicient to set the resin used. Even fabrics having thermoplastic properties may also be subjected to the resin treatment and/ or final baking treatment if desired.

In the case of textile fabrics wholly or partly composed of cellulose acetate rayon, the ornamentation may be rendered permanent by the use of thermosetting resins, as in the case of cotton, but where the material is composed wholly of cellulose acetate or contains a high proportion of cellulose acetate, the material may be treated with aqueous solutions of Water-soluble substances which are taken up selectively by the cellulose acetate yarns, and exert a swelling or plasticising effect, thus reducing the softening point of the cellulose acetate and making it more readily ornamentable. In carrying out this treatment, the fabric is first impregnated with a solution of the swelling agent or plasticiser of suitable strength, the excess being squeezed away by means of a nip. It is then dried and submitted to the ornamenting process according to the present invention at a suitable temperature, and is then washed to remove the water-soluble swelling agent or plasticiser previously applied. If conditions are properly adjusted, the handle of the acetate rayon remains unimpaired after processing and the ornamentation imparted is durable. v

Compressive shrinking machines suitable for adaption to produce ornamentation according to the present invention are disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,021,- 975. Such machines, when adapted in the manner disclosed in our co-pending United States patent application Ser. No. 351,076 and operated in a reverse direction, will produce extension of fabrics in selected regions and result in the production of an ornamental effect. I

Obviously the rufiles, frills, ribs or the like variations of shape imparted to the fabric are formed by the extended regions, which being greater in length than the adjacent untreated or unstretched regions become raised from their normal state of flat alignment. This is in direct contrast to fabric ornamented by selective compressive shrinking, as in that case it is the untreated (or unshrunk) regions which become raised due to the reduction in length of the adjacent shrunk regions.

The invention will be described further by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a method of ornamenting textile fabrics having thermoplastic properties;

Fig. 2 illustrates a method of ornamenting textile fabrics requiring prior resin impregnating, drying and baking treatments;

Fig. 3 shows a complete ornamentation and fixing process in accordance with the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a representation of part of a textile fabric web which has been ornamented with various ruffies and a frill.

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the preferred method of onamenting textile fabrics having thermoplastic properties by selective extension according to the invention, using a machine similar to that shown in United States Patent No. 2,021,975 adapted for the purpose and having heated elements. This machine includes a pressure element 11 for pressing the fabric to be ornamented against the surface of a resilient belt 12. Pressure element 11 is provided with a design according to the ornamentation desired on the fabric and, in the embodiment shown, has one or more peripheral ribs 13 separated by a groove or grooves 14. At the point where the fabric T is pressed betwen the rib 13 on the pressure element 11 and the resilient belt 12, the surface of the belt is in a contracted state. As illustrated in Fig. l, the surface of the belt is changed from its contracted state to an extended state and extended to the point where the fabric T is removed from its position between the pressure ele ment 11 and the belt 12. Thus, the fabric in passing between the ornamenting rib 13 and the belt 12 is extended in those regions which are pressed between the rib 13 and the belt 12 whereas an adjacent region is allowed relative freedom from the stretching action by its position within the groove 14. Fabric T having thermoplastic properties and therefore not requiring additional treatment, is led straight off a roll 15, ornamented by localised extension on the reversely operating compressive shrinking machine M, and then wound on to a further roll 16.

In Fig. 2, a fabric P requiring prior resin impregnating treatment, drying and baking after ornamentation is shown passing from a drying machine D to the regional extending machine M where the regions passing between rib 21 on pressure element 22 and resilient belt 23 are elongated or stretched. Then fabric P passes to a baking oven C, from whence the roll of fabric may be removed for washing in a suitable washing machine and final drying.

Fig. 3 illustrates diagrammatically a complete process embodying the method of ornamenting a textile fabric in accordance with the invention. In this process the textile fabric web coming from the left passes through a bath F containing a suitable fixing agent such as a resin and then passes between a pair of nip rolls N and thereafter is dried to an appropriate moisture content in a drying machine D. It then passes through the regional extending machine S, like those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then to the baking oven C and is finally collected in a roll R.

Fig. 4 illustrates some of the effects produced by treating a textile fabric in accordance with the invention. The unextended regions W of the fabric web remain substantially fiat or plain. An adjacent extended region W which is bounded on one side by the edge of the fabric, produces a frill, as one edge only of this region is subjected to restriction by an unextended region W In the extended regions W each between two adjacent unextended regions W ruffles are produced. The number per inch and size of these ruffles depends not only on the amount of extension and the construction of the machine but also upon the resistance of the material to the extending action in relation to the distance between adjacent unextended regions. Thus, if the unextended regions bounding the extended region are further apart, larger and fewer ruffles, such as in the region W are produced as compared with the ruffies in the regions W A variation, as applied to some fabrics, may be obtained by first shrinking the fabric throughout its entire surface beyond its normal length by say 5 to 10 percent or more, and then subjecting it to localised extension. Thus, instead of acting on a fabric which is in a normal, relaxed state, one which has been shrunk over its Whole area by any known shrinking process may be ornamented by extension of selected regions. If the fabric is originally in a normal relaxed state and the amount of shrinkage imparted to the whole area of the fabric is the same as the extension subsequently produced in selected regions, an ornamented fabric results in which the ruffled or puckered regions are formed by fabric in the normal relaxed state, whilst the fiat (unextended) regions are formed by fabric in a shrunk state.

Fabrics may be coloured during the process of ornamentation. For instance, a paste containing colouring matter may be transferred to the fabric during ornamentation and a pattern thereby produced on the fabric. When ornamenting some fabrics, such as certain textile fabrics, advantage may be taken of their capacity to absorb certain dyes under the influence of heat. These dyes may be applied as suspensions to the fabric to be ornamented, so that when localised regions of this fabric come into contact with a heated surface during ornamentation, the dye is absorbed by the fabric in those regions. The dye on the other regions is absorbed either not at all or to a lesser extent. The greater the heat applied during ornamentation, the greater will be the local absorption of the dye.

Textile fabrics may be steamed or damped and conditioned prior to treatment to facilitate the extending operation.

We claim:

1. A method for imparting an ornamental pattern effect to fabrics, which method comprises causing a selected pattern area to pucker to develop a three dimensional effect visibly contrasting with an adjoining area of the fabric by stretching said selected area with respect to said adjoining area while the selected area is in the plane of the fabric, and thereafter releasing the stretched area and thus permit the stretched area to pucker with respect to the plane of the fabric.

2. A method of ornamenting fabrics comprising increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by subjecting the fabric to stretching in said one region while allowing relative freedom from said stretching action to said adjacent region and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

3. A method of ornamenting fabrics comprising in-. creasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by subjecting the fabric to stretching in said one region while allowing relative freedom from said stretching action to an adjacent region, permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region, and treating said fabric to retain the extended length of said one region and thereby maintain ornamentation.

4. A method of ornamenting fabrics comprising in-. creasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by subjecting the fabric to stretching in said one region, simultaneously heating said one region to fix the fabric of said one region in its lengthened condition, and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

5. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by mechanically Stretching said one region while confining said one region by application of pressure to the surface thereof and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

6. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by mechanically stretching the fabric in said one region while confining said one region by application of pressure to the surface thereof, permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region, and treating the fabric to retain said one region in its stretched condition and thereby maintain ornamentation.

7. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by mechanically stretching the fabric in said one region while applying heat to said one region to fix said one region in its stretched condition, and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

8. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises compressively elongating one region of the fabric relative to an adjacent region by applying to said one region forces having components extending lengthwise of the fabric and normal to the surface of the fabric and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

9. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises compressively elongating one region of the fabric relative to an adjacent region by application to said one region of forces having components extending lengthwise of the fabric and normal to the surface of the fabric, permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region, and treating said fabric to retain the elongated condition in said one region and thereby maintain ornamentation.

10. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises compressively elongating one region of the fabric relative to an adjacent region by application to said one region of forces having components extending lengthwise of the fabric and normal to the surface of the fabric,

simultaneously applying heat to said one region to fix the fabric of said one region in elongated condition, and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

11. A method of ornamenting a fabric comprising increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by pressing said one region into contact with a surface of a flexible deformable member while that surface extends and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

12. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric relative to an adjacent region by pressing said one region into contact with a surface of a flexible deformable mem ber while that surface extends, permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region, and treating said one region of the fabric to retain that region in lengthened condition and thereby maintain ornamentation.

13. A method of ornamenting a fabric which comprises increasing the length of at least one region of said fabric by pressing said one region into contact with a surface of a flexible deformable member while that surface extends, simultaneously applying heat to said one region to fix the fabric of said one region in lengthened condition, and permitting said one region to adjust to the dimension of said adjacent region to produce in said one region an ornamental configuration departing from the plane of the fabric in said adjacent region.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,081 Mitchell Dec. 15, 1908 1,012,914 Ratignier et al Dec. 26, 1911 1,272,924 Doran July 16, 1918 1,889,061 Dickie et al Nov. 29, 1932 2,448,145 Holterhofl Aug. 31, 1948 2,591,861 Pannaci Apr. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 147,676 Germany Ian. 27, 1904 

